Shortly after my first Star Wars Outlaws post, I had to take a brief hiatus to focus on some other games — mainly The Plucky Squire. Soon after coming back to Star Wars Outlaws I reached the point of no return — that “final mission” alert — ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS? THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TIE UP SOME LOOSE ENDS BEFORE EMBARKING ON THE BIG FINALE!

I was not quite ready to end my time with Kay Vess just yet. This was the catalyst to the real adventure for me in Star Wars Outlaws. It was at this moment that I truly began to explore the full galaxy within Star Wars Outlaws.

I had been previously following the main storyline with a few small detours (side missions) as they would pop up. Now, after the “final mission” warning, my gameplay style completely changed. I started traveling (and fast traveling) between planets to complete minor side quests and contracts. I was involved in big space battles against pirates and the Empire. I even met many interesting characters along the way — some known and others new.

My new goal was to become the best Sabacc player in the entire galaxy. This is how I got to meet the great Lando Calrissian — I even ran a few missions for the guy. My favor with each of the major crime syndicates continued to fluctuate. I’d help one group out, only to screw them over soon after.

Crimson Dawn remained my main squeeze for the most part, even though I wronged them a couple of times for some extra credits. The Hutts were always on my back, even when I was working for them. I didn’t quite trust the other clans and I’m sure they didn’t trust me either.

Let’s get to the point — Sabacc.

Games Within Other Games

Ever since my first time at a Sabacc table in Star Wars Outlaws I was totally impressed and obsessed. I was ready to take on the underground Sabacc world. Over the years we have seen many video games with other games within them. Some have been great, others not so great, and some are totally ignored.

Sea of Stars introduced me to WHEELS, an interactive tabletop battle game where you spin the wheels a couple of times and lock in your strategy of whether you want to attack, build your defenses, or a little of both. Take your opponent down to zero health to win. Every time I walked by a Wheels table I had to give it a shot.

In Horizon Forbidden West I came across the tabletop game MACHINE STRIKE. After playing the initial tutorial, I thought I could get into this. Then I learned that Machine Strike was much more complicated. The pre-tutorial was enough for me and I never went back to the tables.

The Witcher 3 featured its own card game GWENT, which was so beloved by the audience that CD PROJEKT later released a stand-alone version. It’s now free-to-play on Steam and I picked it up this week. Gwent can get a bit complicated with a variety of cards, factions, and decks. However, the inviting user interface keeps players from getting lost. Keywords are easily explained by requesting more info. Small cues help the player figure out which cards can be played.

Most of these would be classified as “mini games” within some larger game, other than Gwent which is now its own game. I think these are more than just mini games, they’re more like living strategy games. Sometimes they may influence the game’s story and other times they may just be a fun distraction.

A “mini game” is more of a quick one-off experience, or something you may come across multiple times but it is always practically the same. Many of these “living strategy games” are capable of becoming their own game, either digitally or a real-life physical edition.

Keep it Simple

So, what’s the secret to creating a successful game within a bigger game? What made me feel the need to play a quick round of Sabacc or Wheels any time I came across a table? Simplicity. Both of these games are easy to understand and quick to play, and it’s only a short break from the actual gameplay.

Gwent is not a simple game, but I think the team just happened to create something special within The Witcher 3. That’s why they decided to create it as a stand-alone game. After playing a few rounds of Gwent I could see the addictive nature of the game. I also downloaded it on my iPhone this week and plan to continue playing there.

I’m sure there are plenty of players who enjoyed Machine Strike. It just wasn’t for me. Luckily, that didn’t change my opinion on Horizon Forbidden West. These games are there for whoever wants to enjoy them, and you can still enjoy the main game without them. That’s what’s special about them.

So, when it comes to putting a tabletop game within your video game, the magic lies in creating something simple and quick. A short and welcomed story break for the player. When the developers start off simple and slowly add a few features, that’s when they get it right. Make it too complicated and some players may stay away.

Even by the end of Star Wars Outlaws, Sabacc had become more complicated than early on — now with special ability cards, cheats, and some other elements. However, it is always the same core game. Get the best hand, which doesn’t change, unless someone plays a specific ability card.

If Ubisoft decided to create Sabacc: The Game, and released it on the Nintendo Switch, I would definitely pick it up and play nightly before bed. The same can be said for Wheels: The Game. In fact, I’d like to see Wheels as a physical tabletop game. I already plan on picking up a set of Sabacc cards the next time I visit Batuu in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge — hopefully next month.

As a stand-alone game they can focus on a close-up tabletop version of Sabacc. The one criticism I have of Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws was that it was sometimes difficult to know my hand, due to the symbol and number font on the cards. Other than that, I had a great time at the Sabacc table. Now, imagine if they added more ability cards and cheats. Different characters and rooms. They can do more with this simple game.

I never finished my goal of becoming the best Sabacc player in the galaxy. In fact, I’m saving that for when I join Kay Vess at a later date for the Star Wars Outlaws DLC. This will give me a secondary goal, other than following the new quest line.

I know that Ubisoft isn’t currently in the best position, but working on a stand-alone Sabacc game could be a great new release for them. Give it to the Uno team. Also, I’m currently working on some upcoming Ubisoft Uno coverage.